1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to veterinary and, more specifically, to a novel vaccine and method for prophylaxis and treatment of trichophytosis caused by a pathogenic organism Trichophyton mentagrophytes and a method for preparing same.
Dermatomycoses of animals and, in particular, trichophytosis of fur-bearing animals and rabbits are widely spread in all countries of the world. Trychophytosis endured by animals depreciates commercial qualities of fur products, hinders breeding jobs, breaks the plans for commercialization of animals and rabbit meat in commercial rabbit breeding. Ill animals comprise a constant threat and source of infection to the personnel and members of their families.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among the currently employed preparations for the control of the disease the best known agent is griseofulvin which gives satisfactory results in treating dermatomycoses of fur-bearing animals and rabbits. However, taking into account that places of confinement of animals are infected with dermatomycosis agents and stability thereof in ambient medium, the animals in infected farms are under permanent threat of infection. In this connection, prophylaxis of the disease by means of griseofulvin can be effected only by way of a daily administration of the preparation during the entire period of life of the animals which is practically impossible to achieve. This results in considerable consumption of griseofulvin and makes this way of control of dermatomycosis economically inefficient.
The following references refer to publications related to the background of the invention.
1. A. H. Sarkisov, S. V. Petrovitch, L. I. Nikiforov, L. M. Yablochnik, V. P. Koroleva "Immunization of Cattle against Trichophytosis", J. "Veterinary", 1971, 2, 54-56 (in Russian). PA0 2. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 268593 for "Method of Specific Prophylaxis of Cattle Trichophytosis", 1970. PA0 3. A. H. Sarkisov, L. I. Nikiforov, A. S. Pritula, S. V. Petrovich, H. A. Jilavijan "Dry vaccine LTF-130 against trichophytosis of cattle", VIEV Bulletin, 1976, XXV, pp. 7-10. PA0 4. USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 348947 "Vaccine for Specific Prophylaxis and Therapy of Horse Trichophytosis", 1976. PA0 5. V. P. Koroleva. Prevalence of Infectants of Dermatomycoses of Animals in Different Zones of the Country, VIEV Bulletin 1976, XXV, p. 49-52. PA0 6. N. A. Spesivtzeva. "Mycoses and Mycotoxicoses", 1964. PA0 7. G. G. Ainsworth, P. K. C. Austwick "Fungal Diseases of Animals" Comm. Agr. Bur. 1959. PA0 8. C. J. Touche Trans St. John's Hospital, Derm. Sac., 1960, 45 19. PA0 9. B. Chr. H. Gierloff, I. Katic, Nord. Vet.-Med., 1961, 13,571-92. PA0 10. L. I. Nikiforov, "Infectants of Dermatomycoses of Fur mals and Rabbits", VIEV Bulletin, 1976, XXV, p. 75-75.
Observations and direct experiments performed with rabbits, silver foxes and polar foxes have shown that the animals which suffered from trichophytosis caused by Trichophyton gypseum as a result of a natural or experimental infection acquire immunity though commercial qualities of fur are lost and the focus of the disease is retained: This phenomenon has been taken into consideration in carrying out a program of investigations for the provision of a vaccine against trichophytosis of fur animals and rabbits.
Pathogenic fungi of the species Trichophyton gypseum (T. mentagrophytes) cause diseases in a wide range of animals including cage fur animals and rabbits, as well as in human beings and even birds, in contrast to the fungi of the species T. verrucosum, T. equinum and T. gallinae causing trichophytosis only with certain species of animals (See Table 2 hereinafter compiled according to the date published in 1 to 6.) This is explained, first of all, by high virulent properties of the strains of Trichophyton gypseum.
No effective preparations for the control of trichophytosis of fur animals and rabbits by way of a specific prophylaxis have been hitherto described in the literature.
The active preparations proposed first in the world practice for a specific prophylaxis of cattle, i.e. vaccine TF-130 and LTF-130/1-3/ and trichophytosis of horses /4/ cannot be used for treating trichophytosis of fur animals and rabbits caused by Trichophyton gypseum (T. mentagrophytes), since the animals immunized by these preparations acquire no immunity against the given kind of infection of trichophytosis. It is known that the injectant of the species Trichophyton gypseum causes disease in numerous species of animals including fur animals and rabbits, unlike the species Trichophyton verrucosum, T. eguinum and T. gallinae isolated mainly from animals of particular species and birds (see Table 1 compiled from the data of references 5 to 10 noted heretofore).
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Trichophyton Man, species gypseum Tricho- Tricho- of animals, (mentagro- Trichophyton phyton phyton poultry phytes) verrucosum equinum gallinae ______________________________________ Man + + Cattle + + Small cattle + + Horse + + Dog + Silver fox + Polar fox + Chinchilla + Rabbit + + Poultry ______________________________________
Our data /10/ obtained in studies performed with fur animals and rabbits ill with trychophytosis within the period of from 1963 to 1967 years also demonstrate that in 90% of cases of trichophytosis of fur animals and rabbits there is isolated Trichophyton gypseum.
Known in the art is a vaccine for prophylaxis of trichophytosis of cattle comprising a suspension of microconidia of the immunogenic strain Trichophyton faviforme var. album (T. vericosum) No. 130 in a physiological solution in a concentration of 6-9 mln in 1 ml of a sterile physiological solution.
The method for preparing this prior art vaccine resides in that the immunogenic culture Trichophyton faviforme var. album No. 130 is grown on a solid or liquid nutrient medium at a temperature of 26.degree.-28.degree. C. for a period of from 12 to 15 days until an optimal accumulation of microconidia of the culture is obtained, whereafter the biomass is separated, homogenized to give a suspension of individual cells of the microorganism and the desired product is isolated therefrom (cf. French Pat. No. 2,189,022; USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 3728641).
This prior art vaccine is employed only for prophylaxis of cattle trichophytosis and cannot be useful for prophylaxis and treatment of trichophytosis caused by pathogenic organisms of another species such as Trichophyton mentagrophytes.
Hitherto unknown are data on agents for a specific prophylaxis and treatment of triphophytosis caused by the pathogenic organism Trichophyton mentagrophytes.
Fur bearing animals are well known and conventional definitions can be found in Encyclopedia AMERICANA, Volume 12, available in the United States Patent and Trademark Office at least as early as Oct. 16, 1978 and Copyright 1978, available from the Americana Corporation, New York, N.Y. 10022, and Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 7, available in the United States Patent and Trademark Office since Apr. 12, 1974, Copyright 1974. In addition, publications such as Pictorial Encyclopedia of Furs, rev. ed (1950) by Authur Samet provides a comprehensive treatment of fur bearers and distinctions between fur-bearing mammals and non-fur bearing mammals.
As set forth in USSR patent application 2,618,902, a high virulence and contagiousness of Trichophyton gypseum in respect of human beings and numerous species of animals complicates research investigations on maintaining, attenuation and study of properties of this fungus, since the researcher per se has the risk of being infected with the disease (the course of treatment of the disease is rather complicated and lasting for 2-3 months) and spreading it among other people contacting him. The data relating to the preparation of strains of the fungus. Trichophyton gypseum possessing a lowered virulence with unchanged antigenous activity are hitherto unknown and non-described in the literature.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Basic infectants of trichophytosis causing disease of human beings and animals Trichophy- Trichophy- Tricho- Tricho- Man, species ton gyp- ton verru- phyton phyton of animals seum cosum equinum gallinae ______________________________________ Man + + Cattle + + Small cattle + + Horse + + Dog + Cat + Polar fox + Silver fox + + Chinchilla + Mice rodents + Poultry + Hen + ______________________________________
The purpose of the aforesaid invention was to provide a strain of Trichophyton gypseum (T. mentagrophytes) which would be harmless for human beings and animals with genetically stable characteristics, increased energy of growth on nutrient media which may be used for the development of antigenes, provision of a live vaccine and in scientific and commercial activities in premises of general labor conditions.